Agenda, decisions and minutes

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare, at this point in the meeting, any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda.

Councillor Fraser declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 5 (Challenges for the Future Delivery of Social Care for Older People) as he was a Member of the retired section of Unison.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 10 September 2007.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the last meeting of the panel held on 10 September 2007 be approved and signed by the Chair and Executive Members as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Panel’s remit can do so. Anyone who wishes to register or requires further information is requested to contact the Democracy Officer on the contact details listed at the foot of this agenda. The deadline for registering is Friday, 26 October 2007, at 5:00 pm.

It was reported that a Unison representative spoke on Agenda Item 5 (Challenges for the Future Delivery of Social Care for Older People). The need for consultation was understood but members of Unison were more apprehensive after reading the report and its detailing of the future of the in-house service, There was a belief that City of York Council was moving towards privatising all care services rather than keeping them with the Council. The Unison representative said that the standard of in-house care was second to none and that high quality care was worth paying for, it was important not to lose sight of keeping quality at the top of the list.

This report requests Members’ approval to pilot the use of an independent  parking enforcement contractor operating on designated sites of housing land.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for Housing be advised to:

• Approve option 1, to pilot for a period of 18 months using an independent parking enforcement contractor operating on the sites shown in Annex 1 to the report.

Decision of the Executive Member for Housing

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To resolve problems and complaints from tenants and garage renters.

Consideration was given to a report that requested Member’s approval to pilot the use of an independent parking enforcement contractor operating on designated sites of housing land.

Opportunist parking on sites of land owned by Housing Services, but not governed by highways enforcement, had, over recent years, become an increasing concern, leading to problems for both tenants and garage renters.

Members felt that people were not renting garages due to the problems of accessing them. Officers were asked whether other areas could be included in the pilot scheme and they advised that being a pilot scheme they had tried to include a combination of sites to enable evaluation of the pilot scheme and its successfulness. Discussions were had regarding why there was not an option in the report to use the Council’s own parking enforcement service team. Officers explained that as the sites where the garages were situated were not public highways the Council’s parking enforcement team would not be able to issue civil penalties.

Members were presented with the following options:

Option 1        Pilot a parking enforcement service provided by an independent contractor on specific designated sites and review the outcome after a period of 12 months.

Option 2        Maintain the existing arrangements.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for Housing be advised to:

• Approve option 1, to pilot for a period of 18 months using an independent parking enforcement contractor operating on the sites shown in Annex 1 to the report.

Decision of the Executive Member for Housing

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To resolve problems and complaints from tenants and garage renters.

This report sets out the financial context and demographic background of the challenges to the Council’s future delivery of social care to older people, together with a summary of the approaches that could be made to these challenges, and seeks approval to consult with stakeholders on the responses that can be made.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Members for Adult Social Services be advised to:

1. Note the report
2. Approve the instigation of a wide consultation on the options covered in the report.

Decision of the Executive Member for Adult Social Services

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  Because it is necessary to consider all options for opportunities for savings and reinvestment in line with the Long Term Commissioning Strategy.

Members considered a report that set out how York’s expenditure on social care for older people compared to other similar councils, what we could predict would be the impact on adult social care in the next fifteen years and a summary of the approaches that could be made to these challenges. The report also sought Members’ approval for consultation to take place with stakeholders on the responses that could be made.

Information from the York Long Term Commissioning Strategy for Older People (YLTCS) suggested that by 2020 there would be an increase in the over 65 population in York of 31% (from 30,500 in 2001 to 40,000 in 2020), and within this number, an increase in the over 85s of 60%, (from 3,700 to 6,000). It was noted that persons over the age of 85 would be more likely to need support from health and social care services. All the evidence, locally and nationally, is that offering timely practical help, and encouraging health and well being, will keep people active and independent for longer.

Members discussed the report and suggested that there would be advances in medicine and technological advances such as telemedicine and smart flats, that would become cheaper and more available in future years.

Members discussed joint working with the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and felt that the more progress that was made with this the better, especially in terms of supporting people in their own homes.

Members also discussed the following points:

·        The fact that it was less than a year since the service had been restructured.

·        Pros and cons of private sector providers.

·        New advances in technology (smart flats, telemedicine).

·        The fact that technological advances such as telemedicine could not replace human interaction.

·        The fact that the private sector were ‘marching ahead’ and many people were attracted by superior looking houses and services.

·        The working age adult population, in proportion, will drop and there will be less people to work and financially support the elderly.

·        The last few years of a person’s life would be the ones where they would be likely to need the most intensive care

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Members for Adult Social Services be advised to:

1. Note the report
2. Approve the instigation of a wide consultation on the options covered in the report.

Decision of the Executive Member for Adult Social Services

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  Because it is necessary to consider all options for opportunities for savings and reinvestment in line with the Long Term Commissioning Strategy.

This report provides information on a range of initiatives which are in progress to help to deliver the objectives of the Long Term Commissioning Strategy for Older People, and seeks agreement in principle to a proposed approach to develop joint commissioning arrangements with the PCT.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for Adult Social Services be advised to:

·        Approve Option one as set out in the report.

Decision of the Executive Member for Adult Social Services

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To support the development of partnership working and enable progress to be made in the delivery of strategic objectives for older people’s services, without additional delay.

Members considered a report that provided them with a range of initiatives which were in progress and which would help deliver the objectives of the Long Term Commissioning Strategy for Older People by developing support and accommodation within the community, and by linking service developments more closely with the Primary Care Trust (PCT).

Work was in progress to agree joint priorities for action, based on shared objectives, which could be mapped from the Long Term Commissioning Strategy to the PCT’s recovery plans and draft commissioning intentions.

These priorities are likely to link to the outcomes identified within the Long Term Commissioning Strategy to:

·        Reshape dementia and older peoples’ mental health service to ensure more support within the community.

·        Reduce hospital admissions and admissions to residential and nursing care by making best use of intermediate, transitional, fast response re-abling and rehabilitation services.

·        Use technology to support independence and improve risk management for customers and patients.

·        Develop an integrated health and social care approach to helping patients and customers manage their long term conditions.

·        Develop community based preventative services and carer support which will improve health and well being.

Joint project groups would be set up, with staff from both the PCT and the Council, and where appropriate the GP commissioning group, to develop and deliver specific changes and measurable outcomes.

Members were presented with the following options:

Option 1        To agree in principle to the joint priorities and proposed joint arrangements to deliver these.

Option 2        To delay agreement until full details for the projects and oversight of the projects have been scoped and terms of reference are available.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for Adult Social Services be advised to:

·        Approve Option one as set out in the report.

Decision of the Executive Member for Adult Social Services

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To support the development of partnership working and enable progress to be made in the delivery of strategic objectives for older people’s services, without additional delay.

This report informs Members of the work of the Safeguarding Adults Board for City of York and North Yorkshire (which has superseded the Adult Protection Committee), as set out in the Board’s annual report.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Members for Housing and Adult Social Services be advised to:

·        Comment on the work of the Safeguarding adults Board and the issues highlighted in this report.

Decision of the Executive Members for Housing and Adult Social Services

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To improve the Council’s response to vulnerable people affected by abuse.

Members considered an information report regarding the work of the Safeguarding Adults Board (which had superseded the Adult Protection Committee) for City of York and North Yorkshire.

There had been an increase in cases of abuse to adults reported to the Council in the past year and this may be due to an increase in awareness rather than an increase in the number of adults being abused. The number of investigated cases had risen from 58 in 2005/6 to 70 in 2006/7. The Director of Housing and Adult Social Services reported that public concerns had been raised by some serious cases relating to care homes in other parts of the country. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services have suggested to the Government that the legal framework to protect adults needed to be strengthened.

Members discussed reasons why people did not report cases of abuse. For instance; the situation where a carer was causing the abuse. It was noted that in this situation a person may feel vulnerable and concerned about there being a detrimental effect on their future care if the carer were to be reported.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Members for Housing and Adult Social Services be advised to:

·        Comment on the work of the Safeguarding adults Board and the issues highlighted in this report.

Decision of the Executive Members for Housing and Adult Social Services

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To improve the Council’s response to vulnerable people affected by abuse.